Save De Day
by Ster J
Summary: Chekov saves the day folding laundry. What? Did you expect me to have him scrubbing toilets?


Title: Save De Day

Author: Ster Julie

Codes: Chekov

Rating: PG

Part 1 of 1

Summary: Chekov saves the day folding laundry. (What? Did you expect me to have him scrubbing toilets?)

--ooOoo--

_Boze moi! _Chekov sighed as another heap of crew laundry was dumped ingloriously on the massive counters in the ship's laundry. He'd already been at it for half a shift, but the work never seemed to end.

_For thees I spent four years at de academy?_ he complained. "Command track officers must experience the daily operations of all departments before they can ever expect to pull Bridge duty," he was told when he first set foot on the _Enterprise._ So, while the others were actually able to look out a viewport, to experience Mudd's women, to actually see a Romulan, to encounter Khan's people (Okay, that wasn't so great), Chekov was busy peeling potatoes, scrubbing conduits, filing reports, sorting mail and processing mountains of laundry.

Fold the item, pass it through the ID scanner, sort it by deck, then by section, then by room number. Do it again, then again, then again--whites, darks, colors, sheets, towels, day uniforms, dress uniforms, special orders, so on and so on and . . .

Chekov froze. His youthful eyes spotted something amiss. Something seemed to be crawling on this load of uniform slacks, something tiny, something black and something shiny, as if their backs were all lacquered or metallic. _Metallic?_

Chekov took some clear tape used for sealing bundles of laundry and pressed it to the miniscule items. Examining it under the laundry scanner, Chekov noticed that they resembled insects, but that they were non-organic. Someone had created these things and somehow gotten them aboard the _Enterprise._

Just then, one of the captured bugs excreted a small amount of liquid onto the ensign's hand. Chekov screamed and flung the offending creature aside. He ran the scanner over his wound and found he had an infinitesimal acid burn. Had some unsuspecting crewman been wearing a pair of slacks infested with these creatures he would have suffered with excruciating pain, been certainly maimed or even killed.

Chekov hurriedly reported his findings to the laundry supervisor, who in turn reported it to First Officer Spock, who then informed the captain.

Chekov captured a vial full of the tiny invaders and brought them to the Science Officer. Spock enlisted the help of the young officer in examining the creatures and devising a way to filter them out of the laundry and off the ship. He was impressed by the Russian's abilities, thoroughness, single minded determination and attention to detail. Chekov was able to track the "bugs" to their place of origin. He presented a logical explanation of how they managed to get on the ship. Upon further investigation it was found that the "bugs" had been deliberately planted on some of the crew during their recent shore leave by a separatist faction. Their sole purpose was to maim or destroy a crew so that their ship could be easily overtaken and used by the separatists to further their cause.

_"Ensign Pavel Andreievich Chekov, for service above and beyond the call of duty, for conspicuous valor, and for wounds sustained in service to your ship and crew, you hare hereby awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart."_

Chekov held the document and awards in his hands, not believing what he was seeing, and waiting to wake up now. It seemed ludicrous to him that he should receive these awards, especially the Purple Heart, for finding some bugs while folding clothes. The burn to his hand wasn't worth mentioning, but it was the catalyst for discovering the insidious plan of the separatists and the threat to the ship. He had just expected a thank you from the captain. Chekov never dreamed that he would get such prestigious awards!

_Vhat do you know? _Chekov mused. _I guess I really DEED save de day!_

END

NOTES:

_(Quotes taken from about . com__) _

"The Silver Star honors service personnel who display exceptional valor while engaged in military combat operations against an enemy force. Personnel can also be honored for their service with friendly foreign troops in combat situations, even if the opposing force is one that the U.S. is not engaged in military conflict with."

"The Purple Heart, the oldest military decoration in the world still in use, is awarded to those wounded or killed as a result of engaging the enemy while serving in the U.S. military."


End file.
